Flood Disaster of Nepal : Challenges & Miseries Keep Emerging

It is going to be thirteen days since an unthinkable flash flood triggered by overflow of a deep glacial lake took place on Nepal-Tibet border. Lhende Khola, Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers were swollen beyond recognition, causing devastation in beautiful rural and urban areas of northern and central Nepal. It happened in peak tourist season.

VITAL STATISTICS

By claiming lives of over 1344 persons and 4900 of them still missing, it has ravaged eight districts already. While 583 foreigners and 83 security personnel are missing, over 13,100 have been rescued at the same time.

RAY OF HOPE FROM POWER PROJECTS

Matter causing tremendous concern is missing status of about 900 workers from twelve hydel projects. 500 of them are still believed to be inside tunnels.

Pulling out of Kabir Maharajan and Sanjay Shah, two Nepalese staff from a tunnel of Trishuli 3A project on September 4 and Luhaito, a Chinese personnel, subsequently, raises the hope of finding others. The Chinese national was found from a point 225 metres inside a tunnel. Recent deployment of Indian tunnel experts with latest equipment may have helped.

According to experts, trapped people may survive without food for some time but limited quantity of drinking water and breathable air may become life threatening.

Rescuers are coming across many tunnels that are blocked or damaged possibly by flood which may have taken rocks, mud and debris into underground passages.

As gathered from President of Power Producers Association of Nepal, 12 projects in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts having a combined capacity of 670 MW have been damaged.0f these, seven were operational, four were under construction and one was in testing phase. It is felt that no amount of geological study and risk assessment can confront fury of such a nature.

OVERFLOW OF SECOND LAKE ?

While fears of overflow of second lake too remain in view of addition of further flow of water in two spells , it may be advisable for Nepal government to learn from vast experience of India to reduce impact of such disasters in future.

INDIAN EXPERIENCE CRUCIAL

The National Disaster Management Authority of India, subsequent to flash floods in Kedarnath, Chamoli, Sikkim and Dharali, in 2013, 2021, 2023 and 2025 respectively, had decided to install Early Warning Systems along vulnerable high hazard glacial lakes in J & K, H.P., Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

Due to recent tragedy in Nepal, seven glacial lakes of Sikkim, located above 17,000 feet and a few in other states have been placed in high risk category by the NDMA. Nepal could consider having early warning systems at lakes in their territory.

CAN’T ESCAPE MASS BURIALS

People have started visiting their slush surrounded & devasted homes but many donot spend a night also, forget gathering courage to resume their vocation.

As number of dead bodies is piling up in government hospitals and many are yet to be identified, there is no option but to resort to mass burial. JCB excavators dig huge pits and bodies with identification tags and batch numbers are lowered for identification in future, if any.

While people continue to search for the photos of their loved ones and other missing persons, mortuaries are over flowing. Heart breaking scenes are visible day in, day out.

Search, rescue and relief operations, in the meanwhile, are also getting obstructed by non stop rainfall and landslides. As flash floods are expected in Nuwakot and Rasuwa Districts, Nepal Disaster Management Authority (NDRRMA) has called upon people living close to rivers to exercise vigilance.

REMARKABLE SURVIVAL INSTINCT

Recovery of a 45 day old baby girl, couple of days ago in a healthy condition was a miracle, so was discovery of a 5 year girl who was trapped under rubble for sixty hours without food and water. Except for her eyes she was fully covered by mud. Yet she did not look impatient.

In the same way, family members of Chandrika Shrestha, a 60 year old woman had performed her funeral after she was presumed to be dead. But after being trapped for ten days inside her flood hit home in Betrawati, Nuwakot she was rescued alive.

PRIYA ADHIKARI, DEDICATED PILOT

Dedication of Priya Adhikari, claimed to be first woman helicopter of Nepal has to be commended. Having logged over one thousand hours already, she is working non stop like many of her male colleagues. Even in current inclement weather she undertook 100 rescue missions in two days, duly picking up over 200 survivors. As per her admission, sometimes five to six sorties have to land at make shift heli pads at short intervals. At times landings are on slopes of mud. Imagine flying in such a situation for evacuating survivors, dead bodies or dropping essential supplies !

HEROIC ACT OF A SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

Rajendra Dawadi, Principal of a high school of Trishuli valley has been credited with saving life of 1643 students at the nick of time. As school stood in the path of devastating flash flood, it was destroyed beyond recognition.The alert Principal also guided school bus drivers in letting them cross a nearby bridge before same was swept away by swollen river.

SURVIVAL OF GREEN HOUSE, A MYSTERY

As Bhote Koshi river flash flood swept away buildings, vehicles and personal belongings, a Green house at Nuwakot stood largely intact. All six family members remained cool and calm inside forty year old concrete house all through the threatening flood. Even a child saw gushing water hit the basement without feeling scared. Imagine overall survival Instinct.

Was it strong construction, luck or a miracle ? According to Prakash, the owner, in the three storey house built in 1996-97, a lot of money was spent for good quality materials. No Engineer was hired and that an Overseer prepared the house plan.

Rescue teams reached the house after its photo was flashed all over the world for three to four days.

At another extreme in the same Nuwakot District below one destroyed house, 24 dead bodies were found in a decomposed condition, all beyond recognition.
What a tragedy ?

UNENDING STRUGGLE

As survivors go from one hospital to another and some visit more than one morgue in search of family members and friends, hundreds have begun gathering to hold candle light vigil. All religion prayer meetings are also being held.

School children are making donations to flood victims from their meagre pocket money. But what hits the heart is conduct of symbolic cremations for near and dear ones. They have to brave days and days of sorrow and uncertainty.

When survivors return to their villages and towns, a state of isolation greets them.While being deprived of water and electricity, they discover that their relatives and friends are gone for ever.

For those compelled to stay in make shift or temporary shelters, water, clean toilet and sanitary pads etc are found insufficient for women.Quantity of food is also abysmal.

PROACTIVE PRIME MINISTER

Balen Shah, Prime Minister of Nepal is sparing no efforts in overcoming a tough human crisis that needs over twenty thousand houses to be re built, clearance of blocked roads and quick access to education & emergency medical treatment.

It is in addition to rising pressure on Army, Police and administration working at different levels for rescue and relief. Many houses that look standing may not be habitable.

In his first foreign trip, Balen Shah will be addressing 81st session of UNGA on September 24. It is hoped that he will highlight devastated country’s environmental concerns apart from pressing for international compensation for lasting disaster recovery and reconstruction.

TO CONCLUDE

As per UNICEF, thousands of children need safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene support.But children continue to cry, mothers keep on sobbing and senior citizens look completely shattered on losing personal belongings, cattle and family members.

In such a depressing scenario it is heartening to see that Sudan Gurung, Nepal’s Home Minister accompanies the R & R teams regularly and is distributing relief materials also.

Is Nepal paying the price for a devastation, created in Tibet ? After all, glacial lake located therein overflowed and filled up three Nepal rivers. Also threat from under construction Medog super hydel project is imminent.

Expressing solidarity with people of Nepal,Greta Thurman, Climate Activist has contented that Nepal deserves compensation for climate related damage caused by fossil fuel emissions, not just humanitarian aid.

In addition to above, Haphazard development and rising pressure of tourism may have also added to vulnerability factor in Nepal.

(The author is former Chief Secretary, Sikkim. Views are strictly personal)